JP2003000651A - Wheel chair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a care-given to move a wheelchair by pushing from behind without always watching his step and to absorb an impact force when the care-given hit his leg with a fall preventing mechanism. SOLUTION: The wheelchair 1 has the fall preventing mechanism 10 projecting rearwards from rear wheels 6. The fall preventing mechanism 10 is provided with a safety bar 11 rotatable with rotation of the wheels 6 with respective to a bracket 8 fixed to a frame 2. The safety bar 11 is rotated to a predetermined opening angle and is stored in a storing position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wheelchair, and more particularly to a fall prevention mechanism that prevents the wheelchair from falling backward.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a wheelchair, two wheels provided at the rear and two casters provided at the front enable stable running with four wheels on a flat road.

However, on a road surface on which a wheelchair travels, there is a step which is slightly higher than a normal road surface depending on the location, as represented by a sidewalk. When traveling there with a wheelchair, a seated person sitting on the wheelchair must move the wheelchair until the casters of the front wheels come to a position in front of the step in order to get over such a step, and the seated person must turn the rim fully. If cast, if the step is not so high with respect to the diameter of the caster, the caster can get over the step.

As described above, when the casters of the front wheels get over the step, load movement occurs in the wheelchair, and the load is applied to the rear wheels that come into contact with the road surface. As a result, the wheelchair becomes unstable, and there is a concern that the seated person will be turned over backwards when trying to turn the rim with full force. Therefore, in order to prevent the wheelchair from falling backwards, as is typically the case when climbing over a step, recent wheelchairs have a falling prevention mechanism behind the wheels (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-262255). . In this publication, as a fall prevention mechanism, a wheelie bar (which becomes a fall prevention member) provided with a roller at a rear end portion thereof is shown, which prevents the wheelchair from falling backwards so as to prevent the wheelchair from falling backward. It projects backwards.

[0005]

However, the fall-prevention member that protrudes obliquely rearward from the wheel has, for example, an assistant who assists the wheelchair from the rear, and the assistant pushes the wheelchair from the rear and assists the vehicle to travel. If you do
Since it protrudes to the rear of the wheel so that it comes to a predetermined position at a predetermined angle, it is easy to get caught on the assistant's foot. As a result, the caregiver needs to assist from the rear of the wheelchair while always paying attention to the feet so that the fall prevention member does not get caught in the foot, which is troublesome.

[0006] Further, when assisting by a helper, if the foot of the caregiver hits the fall-prevention member projecting to the rear of the wheel, the wheelchair does not have a mechanism for absorbing the impact, so the impact force when the foot hits Will be directly transmitted to the caregiver's feet.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and when the caregiver pushes the wheelchair to run, it is not necessary to assist from the rear of the wheelchair while always paying attention to the feet. The technical problem is that the impact force is absorbed even when the caregiver's foot hits the fall prevention mechanism.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A first technical means taken to solve the above-mentioned problems is provided with a fall-prevention mechanism that protrudes rearward from a rear wheel and prevents rearward falls. In the wheelchair, the fall prevention mechanism is fixed to the wheelchair and is rotatable in the rotation direction of the wheels, and is rotated by a predetermined opening in the rotation direction of the wheels during the storage operation so that it can be stored in a predetermined storage position. That is.

According to the above structure, the fall prevention mechanism rotates a predetermined opening in the rotation direction in which the wheels move forward or backward during the storage operation and is stored at the predetermined storage position.
When the caregiver assists the wheelchair, the fall prevention mechanism is rotated by a predetermined opening in the direction in which the caregiver's feet come out (for example, the rotation direction that coincides with the backward direction of the wheel of the wheelchair), and The fall prevention mechanism can be stored in a predetermined storage position by keeping a distance between the foot and the fall prevention mechanism. For this reason,
When the caregiver pushes the wheelchair to travel, the fall prevention mechanism can be moved to a position where the caregiver is not bothered. Therefore, the caregiver does not need to always pay attention to his / her feet and assist from the rear of the wheelchair.

A second technical means taken to solve the above-mentioned problem is that a wheelchair provided with a fall-prevention mechanism that projects rearward from a rear wheel and prevents rearward falls. The prevention mechanism is rotatable in the rotation direction of the wheels, and is rotatable within the predetermined range in the same rotation direction as the backward movement of the wheels.

According to the above configuration, for example, when the caregiver assists the traveling of the wheelchair from the rear of the wheelchair in a normal use state in which the fall prevention mechanism is projected rearward from the wheel,
Even if the caregiver's foot hits the fall-prevention mechanism, the fall-prevention mechanism is rotated within the predetermined range in the same rotation direction as the backward movement of the wheels, so that the rotation of the fall-prevention mechanism absorbs the impact force. , The structure is such that the impact force on the foot is alleviated.

[0012] A third technical means taken to solve the above-mentioned problems is a frame as a skeleton, a seat attached to the frame, an axle provided on the frame, and an axle with respect to the axle. A rotatably supported wheel serving as a rear wheel, a caster provided in front of the frame and serving as a front wheel, a bracket disposed between the wheel and the frame, and fixed to the frame side; In a wheelchair that is supported by a bracket and projects rearward from the wheel and includes a fall-prevention mechanism that prevents rearward fall, the fall-prevention mechanism rotates in the rotational direction of the wheel with respect to the bracket. A fall prevention member is provided, and the fall prevention member is rotated by a predetermined opening degree in the rotation direction of the wheel, and is stored at a predetermined storage position during storage.

According to the above structure, the fall prevention member protruding rearward of the wheel is rotated by a predetermined degree in the rotational direction in which the wheel moves forward or backward so that the fall prevention member is stored in the storage position. Therefore, for example, when a caregiver assists a wheelchair, the fall prevention member is rotated in a direction in which the caregiver's foot comes forward, and the distance between the caregiver's foot and the fall prevention member is set to a predetermined value. Can be stored in the storage position. Therefore, when the caregiver pushes the wheelchair to run,
The fall prevention member can be stored in the storage position, and the fall prevention mechanism including the fall prevention member can be moved to a position that is not bothersome to the caregiver. Therefore, the caregiver
Even if the fall prevention mechanism is at the feet, it is not necessary to always pay attention to the feet and assist from the rear of the wheelchair.

In this case, the fall prevention mechanism further includes a rotation restricting portion and a pressing portion that guides the fall prevention member to the storage position during storage, and an operating member that rotates coaxially with the fall prevention member. , Disposed between the operation member and the bracket, and when the fall prevention member is not stored, holds the operation member in the first state,
If a first biasing member that holds the operation member in the second state during storage is provided, by operating the operation member during storage of the fall prevention member, the biasing force of the first biasing member is used to operate. The fall prevention member is pressed by the pressing portion of the member. By this pressing, the position of the fall prevention member together with the operation member can be surely brought into the second state.

Further, the operation member has a first rotation restricting portion and a second rotation restricting portion for restricting a rotation range of the operation member, and when the fall prevention member is not stored, the first rotation restricting portion is used. If the rotation of the operation member is regulated and the rotation of the operation member is regulated by the second rotation regulation portion and the pressing portion at the time of storage, the fall prevention member can be regulated by the first rotation regulation portion at the time of non-storage. The fall prevention member can be reliably held at a predetermined position by the operation member when the device is housed and not housed.

Further, when a storage operation is performed on the operation member, the urging force of the first urging member presses the fall prevention member to rotate by the pressing portion, and the second rotation restricting portion operates. When the rotation is restricted so that the fall prevention member is held at the storage position, the operation member presses the fall prevention member, and the fall prevention member is reliably used by using the biasing force of the first biasing member. Is held in the storage position.

The operation member is provided with a first stopper for restricting the rotation of the fall prevention member, and the second biasing member is arranged between the operation member and the fall prevention member, and the second biasing member is provided. The fall prevention member is urged in the direction opposite to the direction in which the operation member is urged by the first urging member when not stored, by the urging force of the With this configuration, the overturning prevention member is held in the normal use position where the overturn prevention member abuts the first stopper by the urging force of the second urging member.

The operating member is further provided with a second stopper for restricting the rotation of the fall prevention member, and when the wheelchair is about to fall backward, the second stopper restricts the rotation of the fall prevention member. With this configuration, when the wheelchair is about to fall backward, the fall prevention member is reliably held at the position of the second stopper, and the fall of the wheelchair rearward is prevented.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an electric wheelchair will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a manual wheelchair or a hybrid wheelchair combining electric and manual can be applied. is there. Therefore, such a wheelchair is generically referred to as a wheelchair 1.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the wheelchair 1. Wheelchair 1
The frame 2 has an outer shape, and the frame 2 is made of aluminum pipe material in terms of weight reduction. The frame 2 is mainly a back frame pipe 2
a, armrest frame pipe 2b, seat frame pipe 2c, footrest pipe 2d, base frame pipe 2e, middle frame pipe 2f, and the like. These frame pipes are integrated by welding or bolting, It has a chair shape with a backrest. The frame pipes may be joined by using a joint member in order to strengthen the joint.

The back frame pipe 2a is provided on the rear side of the seat 3, which is a backrest of the seat 3. The back frame pipe 2a is inclined slightly obliquely rearward and the upper portion is curved rearward. A grip 21 made of rubber or sponge that allows an assistant to assist the wheelchair 1 by hand is provided at the upper end of the back frame pipe 2a.
The armrest frame pipe 2b has a two-stage shape in the horizontal direction, the rear is higher than the front in the vertical direction, and the front extends vertically downward. A caster 7 serving as a front wheel is rotatably attached to the tip of the armrest frame pipe 2b via a support member 19. The armrest frame pipe 2b is fixed to the back frame pipe 2a at the upper surface position of the seat 3 of the back frame pipe 2a, and is fixed to the front end of a middle frame pipe 2f fixed to an intermediate position of the back frame pipe 2a. There is. The armrest frame pipe 2b is so that the seated person's elbow can be placed on both sides of the seat 3.
An armrest 20 composed of a cushion body is attached to the elbow receiving portion. Further, in front of the armrest, a controller 30 having an operation lever 31 for operating the traveling direction of the wheelchair 1 by a seated person is attached to the armrest frame pipe 2b. Seat frame pipe 2c
Supports the weight of the seated person at the bottom. The footrest pipe 2d is connected to a front end of the seat frame pipe 2c which is curved downward, and the front end is a free end, and a footrest 40 is attached to the front end. In order to improve the ease of getting on and off the wheelchair 1, the footrest 40 can be rotated back and forth with respect to the footrest pipe 2d extending obliquely downward. The footrest pipe 2d is connected to a base frame pipe 2e whose one end is connected to the back frame pipe 2a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the back frame pipe 2a of the frame 2 is integrally provided with a support portion 2aa for receiving the axle 4 penetrating in the same position horizontally on the left and right sides, and this support portion 2aa. Is penetrated by an axle 4 having steps on both sides in the axial direction. The axle 4 is inserted into the support portion 2aa from the outside of the wheelchair 1 (leftward in FIG. 2), and the step portion 4
The a is in contact with the axial end surface of the support portion 2aa, and is fixed to the back frame pipe 2a from the inside of the wheelchair 1 (rightward in FIG. 2) by the bolt 51. On the other hand, the hub 5 is press-fitted from one side of the axle 4 while the bracket 8 made of metal is in contact with the breaking portion 4b on the opposite side of the axle 4 and the cover 17 opening to the outside is covered from the outside. ing. In this case, the back frame pipe 2a
The bracket 8 and the bracket 8 are fixed to each other at several positions below the axle 4 by fixing members such as bolts, and the bracket 8 is fixed to the non-rotating frame side.

A box-shaped unit 18 is fixed to the frame 2 behind the back frame pipe 2a, and a battery for supplying power to a motor (not shown) can be attached to and detached from the unit 18. .

The hub 5, which is the center of rotation of the rear wheel 6, has a disk shape made of metal and has a boss portion 5a in the center.
Grooves are machined from both sides in the axial direction at the center of the boss portion 5a to form a through hole 5b having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the groove. Roller bearings 5 are provided in the grooves on both sides of the same axis.
3,54 outer rings are press-fitted. This rolling bearing 53,
Hub 5 with 54 inside, outside (left side in FIG. 2)
Is fitted into the axle 4 and is fastened by bolts 52 to the end of the axle 4 provided with the screw portion. As a result, the hub 5 is supported by the axle 4,
It can rotate around the axle 4.

On the outer diameter of the hub 5, a plurality of spokes 9 extending inward from the wheel of the wheel 6 are supported, and the spokes 9 are attached in a cross shape. Make a ring. A wheel supported by the hub 5 is provided inside the hub 5 to include a mechanism for transmitting an output from a motor (not shown) to a reduction mechanism having a clutch therein, and transmitting power from the reduction mechanism to the hub 5 via a ring gear. An output of the motor 6 is to rotate the motor.

Further, the wheelchair 1 is provided with a fall-prevention mechanism 10 below the rear end of the bracket 8 fixed to the frame 2, so that the wheelchair 1 can climb over a step or the like, or the road surface can have a large inclination angle. A mechanism for preventing the wheelchair 1 from falling backward when the wheelchair 1 is in an unstable state due to a backward rotation moment, as in the case described above. Further, the fall prevention mechanism 10 can be stored in a predetermined storage position when it becomes a hindrance when assisting the traveling of the wheelchair 1 with the helper being behind and the seated person sitting. .

Next, the operation of the wheelchair 1 by electric operation will be briefly described. When a seated person sits on the seat 3 and the seated person wants to move forward in the wheelchair 1, the operation lever 31 provided on the upper part of the seat is tilted forward, whereby the controller 30 moves forward to a motor (not shown). By outputting a signal and driving the motor to rotate normally, the wheelchair 1 can be moved forward. If the operator wants to move backward, the controller 30 outputs a backward signal to the motor by tilting the operating lever 31 backward.
As a result, the motor can be reversed to move the wheelchair 1 backward. In this case, the operation by the operation lever 31 is not limited to such an operation, and the caster 7 of the front wheels is operated by operating the operation lever 31 by inclining the operation lever 31 in an arbitrary direction in which the operator wants to proceed. A steering mechanism that is interlocked with the operation lever 31 so as to point in the opposite direction may be added. It is also possible to make the traveling speed of the wheelchair 1 variable depending on the inclination angle of the operation lever 31. Further, the wheel 6 is provided with a brake operation lever 32 for applying a manual brake in order to hold the wheelchair 1 so that the wheelchair 1 does not move freely when stopped.

Next, the fall prevention mechanism 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Fall prevention mechanism 1
Reference numeral 0 denotes a bracket 8 fixed to the frame 2, a safety bar 11 having an auxiliary wheel 13 that rotates in the direction in which the wheel 6 rotates with respect to the bracket 8, and a foot that rotates coaxially with the safety bar 11. Plate 12 and springs 15 and 1
When the wheelchair 1 gets over a step or the like and the load of the wheelchair 1 moves rearward, the casters 7 are lifted from the road surface and the wheelchair 1 stops at a predetermined angle (the wheelchair 1 is stopped on a horizontal plane and the auxiliary wheels 13 are provided). The wheelchair 1 tilts backward by an angle (when the wheelchair 1 is tilted) from the state where the wheelchair floats above the horizontal surface until the auxiliary wheel 13 reaches the horizontal surface. As a result, the auxiliary wheel 13 protruding rearward and downward from the wheel 6 comes into contact with the road surface,
With the help of the safety bar 11, the rearward rotation is restricted,
The wheelchair 1 is a mechanism for preventing the wheelchair 1 from falling backward by preventing the wheelchair 1 from falling backward by a predetermined angle or more.

The fall prevention mechanism 10 is symmetrically provided at the same height of the lower rear portion of the wheelchair 1, and when the caregiver pushes the wheelchair 1 from the rear side to assist, the fall prevention mechanism 10 is a helper. It can be stored in a position (storage position) where it will not interfere with your feet. still,
In the present embodiment, the storage in the storage position described above can be performed independently on the left and right sides.

Therefore, to explain the details, the bracket 8 fixed to the back frame pipe 2a is provided at a position behind the axle 4 which is the center of rotation of the wheel 6.
The rear lower portion as shown in FIG. 3 has a protruding portion protruding downward. In this overhanging portion, there are two protrusions that protrude inward of the wheelchair 1 (z direction), and between the two protrusions, a fulcrum 12a that serves as the center of rotation of the safety bar 11 and the foot plate is provided. ing. This fulcrum 12a
The safety bar 11 and the foot plate 12 are rotatably fixed to the bracket 8 by a fixing member such as a pin or a caulking component.

The safety bar 11 is made of a straight and strong material (for example, iron) to prevent the wheelchair 1 from falling over backward and is rotatable about the fulcrum 12a. Has become. An auxiliary wheel 13 is rotatably supported and attached to a shaft 14 at the lower end of the safety bar 11. Further, the safety bar 11 has a stopper 12d in the forward direction of the wheelchair 1 (x direction shown in FIG. 3) and also has a spring locking portion 11a in the backward direction (-x direction).
have.

Further, between the bracket 8 and the safety bar 11, there is provided a foot plate 12 which is rotatable around a fulcrum 12a. The foot plate 12 has a beak shape at the upper portion, and is capable of contacting the protrusion 8b provided on the bracket 8 and is in conformity with the shape of the protrusion 8b.
It has 2b and 12c. This groove 12b, 12c
When the foot plate 12 rotates, the z-direction movement of the foot plate 12 is restricted by the two groove portions 12b, 12c, and the rotation range of the foot plate 12 is restricted by the groove portions 12b, 12c and the projection 8b. Have a function.
That is, when the foot plate 12 rotates clockwise as shown in FIG. 3, the groove 12b and the projection 8b come into contact with each other, and the clockwise rotation is restricted. On the other hand, in the counterclockwise rotation, the groove 12
The projection 8b comes into contact with c and rotation in the counterclockwise direction is restricted. Therefore, the rotation range of the foot plate 12 is determined at the position where the groove portions 12b and 12c are provided in the foot plate 12.

Further, the foot plate 12 is bent inward in the z direction, and is pressed to push the safety bar 11 during the storing operation from the normal use state shown in FIG. 3A to the stored state shown in FIG. 3B. While having the portion 12h at the radial end,
It has a spring locking portion 12f bent in the same direction as the pressing portion 12h and provided in the rotating direction, and a spring locking portion 12g provided in the radial direction. The spring locking portion 12f is provided at the tip of the arm portion 12j extending in the rotation direction, and the spring locking portion 12g is provided at the radial tip about the fulcrum 12a. These pressing parts 1
The 2h and the spring locking portions 12f and 12g are erected in the z direction by press working. Further, the foot plate 12 is provided with a stopper portion 12d which stands up in the z direction for restricting the counterclockwise rotation of the safety bar 11 shown in FIG. 3, and the clockwise rotation rotates the pressing portion 12h as a stopper. And is regulated by the inner wall of the pressing portion 12h.

A spring 15 is arranged between the protrusion 8a provided on the bracket 8 and the spring engaging portion 12g. One end of the spring 15 engages with the outer periphery of the projection 8a, and the other end is inserted into and locked by a locking hole of the spring locking portion 12g. By the urging force of the spring 15, the foot plate 12 is urged in the clockwise direction shown in FIG. 3, and the rotation range in the clockwise direction is regulated in the state where the groove portion 12b is in contact with the protrusion 8b of the bracket 8.

On the other hand, a spring 16 is arranged between the spring locking portion 12f of the foot plate 12 and the spring locking portion 11a of the safety bar 11, and the spring 1
Reference numeral 6 is inserted into and locked by locking holes provided in the spring locking portions 11a and 12f. As shown in FIG. 3A, the spring 16 keeps the safety bar 11 in contact with the stopper portion 12d in the normal use state.

Next, the operation of the fall prevention mechanism 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3A, in a normal use state, the foot plate 12 is biased in the clockwise direction (the backward direction of the wheel 6) by the spring 15, so that the groove 12
b contacts the protrusion 8b of the bracket 8 to restrict the rotation range. Under this condition, the safety bar 11 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG.
The spring 16 is biased in the counterclockwise direction (the forward direction of the wheel 6) by the biasing force of the spring 16, and the safety bar 11
One side surface 11b is held in contact with the stopper 12d. The safety bar 11 can be rotated from a position where the side surface 11b contacts the stopper portion 12d to a range where the other side surface 11c contacts the inner wall of the pressing portion 12 as shown by a broken line.

In the normal running state of the wheelchair 1, the auxiliary wheel 13 supported by the safety bar 11 is located at the lower rear portion of the wheel 6 so as to project. However, as in the case where the wheelchair 1 gets over a step or the like, the casters for the front wheels are used. When 7 moves away from the road surface and a rearward moment acts on the wheelchair 1 and it tends to turn upside down (that is, the caster 7 floats above the horizontal surface and moves backward by a predetermined angle about the grounding point of the wheel 6 as an axis). When the wheel 6 rotates, the auxiliary wheel 13 projects rearward from the outer shape of the wheel 6, and thus the auxiliary wheel 13 contacts the road surface. After that, the auxiliary wheel 13 touches the road surface, and then the safety bar 11
Resists the urging force of the spring 16 and rotates a little in the clockwise direction (that is, the rear side of the wheelchair 1) shown in FIG.
The rotation of the side surface 11c is restricted at the position where the side surface 11c contacts the inner wall of the pressing portion 12h.

Therefore, when the wheelchair 1 is about to be turned over backward, after the auxiliary wheel 13 comes into contact with the road surface, the safety bar 11 is rotated at the broken line position as shown in FIG. 4 (a). As a result of the regulation, the rearward fall of the wheelchair 1 can be reliably prevented by the fall prevention mechanism 10.

On the other hand, in the fall prevention mechanism 10 which performs such a function, since the auxiliary wheel 13 projects rearward and downward from the wheel 6, for example, an assistant grips the grip 21.
When assisting the running of wheelchair 1 from the rear,
Since the auxiliary wheel 13 projects rearward near the position of the toes of the caregiver, it may happen that the auxiliary wheels 13 are easily caught on the toes. However, in the present embodiment, the safety bar 11 is rotated in the direction of the wheels 6, and the safety bar 11 is rotated as shown in FIG.
As shown in, the problem can be solved by being able to store at the storage position. That is, when the caregiver who assists the traveling of the wheelchair 1 at the back wants to store the safety bar 11 in the storage position, the foot plate 12
The pressing portion 12h is stepped in the counterclockwise direction (on the front side of the wheelchair 1) shown in FIG. 3A with the toes or the foot of the foot, and the foot plate 12 is stored. When the storage operation is performed, a counterclockwise force is applied to the foot plate 12, and as a result, the foot plate 12 is supported by the fulcrum 8
It rotates counterclockwise about the force c of the spring 15 about c. After that, when it is rotated to a predetermined angle, the side wall of the safety bar 11 is pressed by the inner wall of the pressing portion 12h, the safety bar 11 also rotates in the same manner as the foot plate 12 rotates, and the groove portion 12c becomes the bracket 8. Abutting on the projection 8b. When the groove 12c comes into contact with the protrusion 8b of the bracket 8, the rotation range of the foot plate 12 is restricted, and the position of the safety bar 11 becomes the storage position as shown in FIG. 3B. In the stored state, the fulcrum 12a and the auxiliary wheel 13
8a to the straight line connecting the center of the shaft 14 of
The center of is slightly offset to the rear. By this,
The foot plate 12 rotates independently until the pressing portion 12h comes into contact with the side surface 11c of the safety bar 11, but from the predetermined position, the movement moves integrally with the safety bar 11, and thereafter, the snap action of the spring 15 ensures the secure movement. Moreover, it is possible to guide the safety bar 11 to the stored state. In this stored state, as shown in FIG.
Is urged clockwise by the spring 16 applied to the spring locking portion 12f of the arm portion 12j of the foot plate 12, so that it is held at a predetermined position in the stored state.

The safety bar 11 thus stored.
In order to restore the original normal use state, the caregiver pushes the pressing portion 12h of the foot plate 12 into, for example, the fulcrum 12
Clockwise around a (rotational direction in which the wheel 6 moves backward)
3 (a) by pulling it back to
It is possible to return to the normal use position shown in. In this case, the return of the safety bar 11 from the stored state to the normal use state is performed by stepping on the foot plate 12 as represented by, for example, a foot brake (also called a parking brake) in the vehicle. It is also possible that the foot plate 12 is pushed back again later and a mechanism for automatically returning is added, so that the foot plate 12 is automatically returned without requiring manual operation.

On the other hand, it may happen that the caregiver does not store the fall prevention mechanism 10 in the storage position but assists it. That is, as shown in (a) of FIG.
When 0 is normally used and assisting is performed, when the assisting vehicle is running, the caregiver's foot is placed on the safety bar 11
However, even in such a situation, the fall prevention mechanism 10 is configured to be able to absorb the impact when the toes hit the safety bar 11.

When the helper's toes hit the safety bar 11 in the normal use state shown in FIG. 3A, a counterclockwise moment acts on the safety bar 11. As a result, the stopper 12d is pressed counterclockwise by the side surface 11b, and the safety bar 11 and the foot plate 12 rotate integrally around the fulcrum 12a. The safety bar 11 and the foot plate 12 that have integrally rotated in the counterclockwise direction can rotate to the position where the projection 8b abuts the groove 12c against the biasing force of the spring 15, so that The impact when your toes hit the safety bar 11
And, it is absorbed and relieved by the rotation of the foot plate 12. Therefore, the impact force is not directly transmitted to the caregiver's foot, and is relieved by the rotation of the fall prevention mechanism 10,
The caregiver's feet can be protected.

In the present embodiment, the safety bar 11 is rotated in the same direction as the direction in which the wheels are retracted so that it does not come into contact with the feet of the caregiver, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when an assistant performs a storage operation, the safety bar 11 is rotated by a predetermined opening degree (for example, an angle hidden by the bracket 8) in the rotation direction of the wheels 6, or the safety bar 11 is rotated by the left and right wheels 6. It can also be rotated to a position within a range that does not extend rearward so that it can be stored in a predetermined storage position.

[0044]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the fall prevention mechanism rotates a predetermined opening in the direction in which the wheels rotate during the storage operation and is stored in a predetermined storage position. When assisting, rotate the fall-prevention mechanism by a predetermined angle in the direction in which the caregiver's feet come out, keep the distance between the caregiver's foot and the fall-prevention mechanism, and store the fall-prevention mechanism in the predetermined storage position. When the caregiver pushes the wheelchair to travel, the fall prevention mechanism can be moved to a position that is not bothersome to the caregiver. Therefore, even if the fall prevention member is at the feet, the caregiver does not have to pay attention to the feet at all times and can assist from the rear of the wheelchair.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, for example, when the assistant assists the wheelchair from the rear of the wheelchair in a normal use state in which the fall prevention mechanism is projected rearward from the wheel, Even when the foot hits the fall prevention mechanism, the fall prevention mechanism rotates in the same rotation direction as the wheel retracts within a predetermined range, so that the rotation of the fall prevention mechanism can absorb impact force and The impact force of can be relaxed, and it can be configured so that it does not hurt when hit.

Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, the fall prevention member protruding rearward of the wheel is rotated by a predetermined angle in the rotation direction of the wheel so that the fall prevention member is stored in the storage position. For example, when a caregiver assists a wheelchair,
Rotate the fall prevention member in the direction in which the caregiver's foot comes forward to a predetermined angle to keep the distance between the caregiver's foot and the fall prevention member,
It can be stored in a predetermined storage position, and the fall prevention mechanism can be moved to a position that is not bothersome to the caregiver. Therefore, even if the fall prevention member is at the feet, the caregiver does not have to pay attention to the feet at all times and can assist from the rear of the wheelchair.

In this case, the fall prevention mechanism further includes a rotation restricting portion and a pressing portion that guides the fall prevention member to the storage position during storage, and an operating member that rotates coaxially with the fall prevention member. , Disposed between the operation member and the bracket, and when the fall prevention member is not stored, holds the operation member in the first state,
If a first biasing member that holds the operation member in the second state during storage is provided, by operating the operation member during storage of the fall prevention member, the biasing force of the first biasing member is used to operate. The position of the fall prevention member together with the member can be surely set to the second state, and the fall prevention mechanism can be easily moved to a position where the caregiver does not bother.

Further, the operation member has a first rotation restricting portion and a second rotation restricting portion for restricting a rotation range of the operation member, and when the fall prevention member is not housed, the first rotation restricting portion is used. If the rotation of the operation member is regulated and the rotation of the operation member is regulated by the second rotation regulation portion and the pressing portion at the time of storage, the fall prevention member can be regulated by the first rotation regulation portion at the time of non-storage. The fall prevention member can be reliably held at a predetermined position by the operation member when the device is housed and not housed.

Further, when a storage operation is performed on the operating member, the urging force of the first urging member presses the fall prevention member to rotate by the pressing portion, and the second rotation restricting portion When the rotation is restricted so that the fall prevention member is held at the storage position, the operation member presses the fall prevention member, and the fall prevention member is reliably used by using the biasing force of the first biasing member. Can be held in the storage position.

The operation member is provided with a first stopper for restricting the rotation of the fall prevention member, the second biasing member is arranged between the operation member and the fall prevention member, and the second biasing member is provided. The fall prevention member is urged in the direction opposite to the direction in which the operation member is urged by the first urging member when not stored, by the urging force of the With this configuration, the tipping prevention member can be held in the normal use position where the tipping prevention member comes into contact with the first stopper by the biasing force of the second biasing member.

The operation member is further provided with a second stopper for restricting the rotation of the fall prevention member. When the wheelchair is about to fall backward, the second stopper restricts the rotation of the fall prevention member. With this configuration, when the wheelchair is about to fall backward, the fall prevention member can be reliably held at the position of the second stopper, and the fall of the wheelchair rearward can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a configuration of a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing a relation of attachment of a frame and a bracket of the wheelchair shown in FIG.

3 is an enlarged view of the fall prevention mechanism shown in FIG.
(A) shows a normal use state in which the fall prevention mechanism is not stored, and (b) shows a stored state.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the fall prevention mechanism shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the back side, in which (a) shows a non-stored state and (b) shows a stored state.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 wheelchair 2 frames 2a Back frame pipe 3 seats 4 axles 5 hubs 6 wheels 7 casters 8 brackets 10 Fall prevention mechanism 11 Safety bar (fall prevention member) 12 Foot plate (operating member) 12b Groove (first rotation restricting portion) 12c groove portion (second rotation restricting portion) 12d 1st stopper 12h Pressing part (second stopper) 13 auxiliary wheels 15 Spring (first biasing member) 16 spring (second biasing member)

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A wheelchair provided with a fall-prevention mechanism that protrudes rearward from a rear wheel and prevents rearward falls, wherein the fall-prevention mechanism is fixed to the wheelchair and is rotatable in the wheel rotation direction. A wheelchair, which is stored at a predetermined storage position by rotating the wheel by a predetermined opening degree during a storage operation. 2. A wheelchair provided with a fall-prevention mechanism that projects rearward from a rear wheel and prevents rearward fall, wherein the fall-prevention mechanism is rotatable in a wheel rotation direction and the wheel is retreated. A wheelchair characterized by being rotatable within a predetermined range in the same rotation direction as. 3. A frame that serves as a skeleton, a seat attached to the frame, an axle provided on the frame, wheels that are rotatably supported on the axle and serve as rear wheels, and a frame of the frame. A caster that is provided in the front and serves as a front wheel, a bracket that is disposed between the wheel and the frame and is fixed to the frame side, and a bracket that is supported by the bracket and projects rearward from the wheel, In a wheelchair provided with a fall prevention mechanism for preventing a fall, the fall prevention mechanism comprises a fall prevention member that rotates a predetermined opening in the rotation direction of the wheel with respect to the bracket, and the fall prevention member when stored. A wheelchair that is stored in a predetermined storage position. 4. The fall prevention mechanism further includes a rotation restricting portion and a pressing portion that guides the fall prevention member to the storage position during storage, and rotates coaxially with the fall prevention member. An operating member, and a first urging member disposed between the operating member and the bracket for holding the operating member in the first state when the fall prevention member is not housed and in the second state when housed. The wheelchair according to claim 3, further comprising: 5. The operation member has a first rotation restricting portion and a second rotation restricting portion for restricting a rotation range of the operation member, and the first rotation restricting member when the fall prevention member is not housed. The wheelchair according to claim 4, wherein the movement restricting portion restricts the rotation of the operation member, and the second rotation restricting portion restricts the rotation of the operation member during storage. 6. When the fall prevention member is stored in the operation member, the urging force of the first urging member pushes the fall prevention member by the pressing portion to rotate the fall prevention member. 6. The wheelchair according to claim 4, wherein rotation is restricted by the second rotation restricting portion, and the fall prevention member is held at the storage position. 7. The operation member is provided with a first stopper for restricting rotation of the fall prevention member, and a second biasing member is provided between the operation member and the fall prevention member. The fall prevention member is urged by the urging force of the second urging member in a direction opposite to the direction in which the operation member is urged by the first urging member when the fall prevention member is not housed. The wheelchair according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the wheelchair is held in the normal use state in which the wheelchair contacts the first stopper. 8. The operation member is further provided with a second stopper for restricting rotation of the fall prevention member, and when the wheelchair is about to fall backward, the second stopper prevents the fall. The wheelchair according to claim 7, wherein rotation of the member is restricted.